, 1887-06-22


Poisons Used.
1t is not Ecncrcny known to what an
alarming extent poison eating 10 prrcticcl
In thi3 country rs well as in Europe. In
some Of the districS Of lower Austria, and
In Styria, especially in tho mountainous
parts, there prevails the habit Of eating
arsenic. The peasantry arc particularly
given to it. They obtain 1t under tic
name of hcdri, rom travelling hucksteIs
and gathercrs Of herbs, wEo, on their
part, procure it from the glass blowers or
from the low doctors or nountebGnts.
The arsenic eater has n twcfold aim in
the dangerous enjoyment, ono of which ID
tho desire to obtuin q fresh, healthy APP
pearanco and acquire q certain decree CT
e~mbonpoint, II on this account lads and
lassics in the European countries employ
the agent that they may become more
attractive to each other, and their en-
deavors are attended with astonishing re-
suits, for the poison catcrs arc, generally
speaking, distinguished by o fresh com
plexion, and have tho appearance of exu-
berant health. Not long since a farm
servant, who WINS thin N pale, but well
and healthy, wished to mako her5elf more
attractive TO her lover, and in order 10
obtain n more Pleasing exterior, swat
owed every week several Go9cs of mr.
senic, The desired result wcs obtained.
In O few months sho was quito according
to her lovers taste. In order to increase
the effect she increased the do3e OF err
scnic, and fell q victim TO her vnnity, She
was poisoned and died a distressing death.
DEATHS FROM ARSENIC,
Tho number of deaths in consequence OF
the immodcrate enjoyment Of arsenic Is
not uncomfortable, especially among tie
young. Whether IL arises from fear Of
the hwy, which forbids the unauthorized
possession Of arsenic, or whether it Ee
TINT an inner voice Proclaims to him his
sin, the arsenic cater always conceals Is
much possible the use of it. The Euro
pean peasants say they eat it to nuke
themselves ''better windedn-that Is, to
make the respiration easier when nscend-
Ing tho mountains. Whenever they have
far TO go and to mount q considerable
height they take a minute morsel Of
arsenic and allow 1t to gradually dissolve
In tho mouth. They say the effect 10 sur
prlsing, and they ascend with case heights
which otherwise they could climb only
with distress to the chest.
The dose with which the robson caters
begin consists OF rather less than half a
grain, and then tho quantity il increased
according to the effect produced. | re-
Gently learned of u man Of co years who
at present takes ct every dose q piece
about tie weight CT four grains. For
forty years he has practiccd the habit,
which he inherited from his father, and
he, in all probability, will bequeath the
same to his children. 1t is stated that
neither in these nor in other poison enters
Is there the least trace OF an arsenic
c~aciieXy disccrnible, and that the symp-
toms Of q chronic Grsenicnl poisoning
never show themselves in individuals WAC
adapt the dose to their constitution, even
though that dose should be considerable,
but VIXEN from inability TO obtain the nc.d
or other cause the l~erilous indulgence is
stopped, there appear symptoms of illness
which have the closest resemblance to
those produced by arsenic poisoning. These
symptoms consist principally in q feeling
Of general discomfort, attended by u per-
feot Indifference to I'll surrounding per-
son9 and things, great personal anxiety,
and various distressing sensations arising
from the digestive organs, lack CT mp
petite, Il constant feeling that tho stomach
is overloaded in the morning, u burning
from the pylorus TO the throat, pcius in
the stomach and particularly great diff
Guilty in breathing. For al these symp-
tens there IS but Il remedy-a return
TO the use of arsenic.
PoIsoSs USED.
Poison eating among the inhabitants Of
lower Austria has not grown into u pas
sion, as is the case with the opium eaters
In the cast, the chewers Of tho bctel nut
in India and Polynesia and of the coca
leaves among the natives Of Peru. When
once commenced, however. it becomes q
necessity. In some districts sublimate Of
quicksilver is used in the same way. An
authenticated case is mentioned by DR.
Won Tschudi Of n great opium cater ut
Brussa who daily consumed the enormous
quantity Of forty grains Of corrosive sub
Innate with his opium. In the mountain
GUS parts of Peru the doctor met very fire.
qucntly with caters of corrosive sub
Innate, and the practice in Bolivia, where
this poison is openly sold in the market to
the Indians, is still greater.
Poisons that are swallowed for the sake
OF the agreeable sensations they occasion
w this effect to their action upon the
nervous system, and the practice must be
kept up by n constantly increasing dose
until the constitution is irremediably In
jurod. In the case of arsenic, so long as
the excitement is undiminished all is up
p~areltly well; but the point is ut length
reached when to turn back or to proceed
are, alike, death. The moment tho dose
Is diminished or withdrawn entirely then
the victim perishes, because he has shrunk
from killing himself. Arscnic is said by
DIR. Pearson to be rs harmless rs q glass
of wine in the quantity Of one-yiXtcenth
part of u grain, and in the case Of Hgues
It is SO certain in its effects that the French.
directory one issued an edict ordering
the surgeons OF the Italian army, under
pain Of military punishment, to Danish
that complaint ut two or three days notice
from among the vast numbers of soldiers
who were languishing under 1t In the
marshes of Lombardy. 1t seems that no
poison taken In small and diluted doses is
immediately Eurtful, md the same thing
may be said Of other aGents.-''M. Il. L."
in Boston Herald.